Tonight (Wednesday 31st August) at our midweek church meeting we will be rounding off our Bible study book – Romans 8-16: In View of God’s Mercy. The central group will meet at the church and the rest of the groups will meet on Zoom. If you are not joining us at the church simply log on to our usual ID at 7.30pm to be put into your regional group.
We will be looking at the remaining part of – Study 7: Mercy and Mission (Romans 15:1 – 16:27)
“God has planned to save Jews and non-Jews; the right response to his sovereign plan of election is to praise his wisdom and power.
Because of God’s mercy for us, we life a life of grateful sacrifice: this changes how we view ourselves, love our church and live in our society.
We should not judge other Christians who do what we do not; and we should be considerate of those who do not do what we know we’re free to do.”
— The Story So Far
If you need a copy of the study please contact Carina in the church office – email carina@dowanvale.org
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.”
Paul (Romans 12:1)
How does faith in the gospel of Christ actually lead to change in real life?
In view of God’s mercy, how will we think, speak and act?
Those are the questions Paul addresses in the second half of the book of Romans. At the heart of chapters 8 to 16 lies a key verse:
“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” (Romans 12:1)
The Christian life is lived with our gaze on God’s mercy to us. Our eyes are fixed on the cross, where Christ died so that we need never fear condemnation by or separation from God.
And this, Paul says as he writes to the church in Rome in the middle of the first century, is to shape everything we are and do. The Christian life is a life of gratitude to our merciful Father. We live to please him by obeying him, even at cost or inconvenience.
How can we do this? In chapter 8, Paul will show us that it is by setting our mind on what the Spirit desires, as children of the Father.
How do we do this? In chapters 12-16, Paul will take us on a tour of our lives, showing how we live as grateful sacrifices in every facet of life.
The gospel makes a difference, not only to our eternal future but to our present perspectives and priorities, attitudes and actions. These seven studies in the second half of this wonderful letter will show you why to, and how to, live in view of God’s mercy.
We will be using this book by Tim Keller produced by The Good Book Company.